This week was pretty lack luster in the food department. Sorry for the lack of new recipes or variety but sometimes life happens right? Life gets busy, and motivation gets low. I haven't discovered a secret to staying motivated when it comes to food and exercise.. really the only thing that works is just getting into a routine and continuing to follow it even when you don't feel like it... kind of like taking a shower or brushing your teeth. ( Unless you are a stinky kid or a Briar Patch customer ). I have no motivational words of encouragement for you. I guess Nike was pretty spot on when they created their slogan of "Just Do it." Yes. Exactly. Just do it. Just do it when you are tired, lazy, busy, sad, angry, etc. Just fucking DO it. You can make goals, or you can make excuses.

I will get up off my high horse now. Perhaps this "motivational" post was more for me this week than anyone. I could use a little kick in the ass. Until then.. check out the new meal prep video. Don't forget to leave me some feedback in the comments!

Meal prep day can be bittersweet. Spending a good chunk of your day off at the grocery store or in the kitchen can seem like a life suck... but it makes life so much easier during the week. It helps to stay on track towards your nutrition and fitness goals and also helps save some money.

I have had a few people ask me if my food is still good on the 5th day. Yes! I think the key is to make sure that you are storing your food properly. Always keep them in the fridge of course... and then in the correct type of containers. The containers I use I purchased off of Amazon. They seal in the food, are super cheap, BPA free, microwave safe.

I've also been asked how I reheat my food. When I am at work I use the microwave because I only have 30 minutes. The microwave is the fastest option and I am a very slow eater. When I am at home I heat up my iron skillet and then re-heat the food in the skillet. ( This is what I recommend if you have this option ).

I have a few new recipes within this weeks meal prep video so I decided to post them up here so it is easier to shop and follow along.

Roasted Beet and Green Bean Salad

Ingredients

1 lb red beets

1/2 lb green beans

1 bunch parsley

Juice from 1/2 lemon

olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Procedure

Place beets in a roasting pan with olive oil. Cover with foil and roast for about an hour or until a fork or knife can be inserted without resistance.

Remove skin from beets and dice.

Place diced beets in a mixing bowl and add chopped parsley, olive oil, salt and pepper, and juice from 1/2 lemon.

Adjust seasonings as desired.

Tomatillo Sauce

Ingredients

1 lb of tomatillos

2 onions, sliced

3 cloves of garlic

cilantro

juice from 1/2 lime

1/2 bunch of cilantro

Procedure

Remove skins from tomatillos and dice. Place on a sheet pan along with the sliced onion, garlic. ( I placed my chicken on top of this mixture because it is quicker and you get the the juices of the chicken in the sauce as well ).

Roast in the oven for about 25 minutes or until onions are sweet and caramelized.

I hate cold weather...but I love cold weather food. I've seen a million different butternut squash soup recipes pop up lately, so if you are looking for something a little different and a little more filling, this might do the trick. Butternut squash soup is like the pumpkin spice latte of the food world.

Dice butternut squash and place in oven for about 20 minutes or until tender.

Sauté ground beef in a large pot over medium-high heat

add in onion, celery, carrots, peppers, and garlic. Stir.

Add the rest of the spices to the mixture and season with salt and pepper.

Add in tomato paste and sauté with the rest of the ingredients.

Stir in tomato sauce, and beef broth. ( You can add more or less depending on how thick you want your chili. ) Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir in the roasted butternut squash. Serve garnished with fresh chopped cilantro.

Meal prep days can seem pretty daunting if you are just starting out. When I prep my meals I am prepping enough for my work week. I am prepping for two meals a day ( lunch and dinner ) for 5 days. ( ten meals ). If you are just starting out I recommended starting out small. Start by prepping two days of meals, then three, then four.. and so on. Starting small is a good way to learn how to put together a menu and manage your time in the kitchen. Once you master prepping for a few days, you can move on to prepping more meals at a time without much more hassle.

The more you prep, the more efficient you will be in the kitchen. One of the best ways to stay organized and on task when meal prepping is to create a timeline. Before you even start cooking take a look at your menu and your ingredients. Figure out what is going to take you the longest and make sure to start that project first. Creating timelines and how to properly season food is probably one of the most simple, yet important things I learned in culinary school.

prep Turnips, rutabagas, and parsnips and place in oven ( these vegetables will take the longest so you want to get these in the oven first ).

prep green beans ( super quick so you can get them out of the way. They will be done by the time you finish prepping the next thing. )

Prep brussel sprouts and parsnips and roast.

prep cauliflower and peppers and and roast.

Plate.

You won't always have to write out a timeline, but I highly recommend doing it when you start out. Pretty soon you will be able to recognize where you need to start and know each step without having to write it out. At this point I can create a timeline in my head and go from there.

You will also start to learn more efficient ways of cooking. You might have noticed I don't use my stove top much. Using the oven is a lot easier when you are cooking in larger quantities. If I can throw it in the oven and let it cook it is much more hands off and allows me to use that time to prep something else.

If you are struggling with feeling bored with your food and are looking for more variety, try to pick at least 3 different types of proteins and vegetable choices each week. At some point you might have to be okay with a little repetition, but even just slightly changing things up can help a little. Trying out a new recipe every couple of weeks or so can also help.

Don't let meal prep intimidate you. I promise it gets easier the more you do it. The key is staying organized and consistent. Don't be afraid to start small, make mistakes, try something new, or ask questions. Keep in mind your goals. Hard work pays off!

If you haven't noticed by now, I eat gluten free. I guess you could say I eat "Paleo" but I don't really like to subscribe to the "eat like a caveman" concept. I eat clean. Which means I eat real, whole food, that is minimally processed. It is the food that allows me to feel my best. I have had my battle with digestive issues and staying away from dairy and gluten seems to be what works for me. So on that note... here is another easy meal prep recipe.

Ingredients

2 lbs ground beef

3 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

2 tsp. dried thyme

2 tsp. dried basil

2 tsp. oregano

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 eggs

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Place all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.

Mix together well until the meat comes together enough to form into balls. ( Might take a bit for the meat to absorb all of the egg. Keep mixing ).

This isn't your great grandmother's tomato sauce recipe.. but it is very simple and quick. When you are meal prepping it is important to remember that in order to be most efficient with your time that it is okay to take some shortcuts. This is a super simple shortcut recipe but it still has great flavor to it and goes great with some spaghetti squash and meatballs.

I have an undying love for pesto. It's easy, and it is versatile. What is not to love about it?

Normally pesto also contains parmesan cheese and pine nuts rather than walnuts, but dairy is not my friend and walnuts are fatty, nutritious and delightful. If you can handle dairy... throwing in a handful of parmesan cheese along with the rest of these ingredients will add even more flavor to the mix.

If you make a batch of pesto at the beginning of the week you can put it on almost anything. It is a great sauce/condiment to have on hand.